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Phases

Phase 1: Laying the Foundation

The question is often asked “How do I/we start a Centershot ministry at our local church?” Unfortunately there is no guide that will give the 3 easy steps to rolling out Centershot.

The reason this is true is that every congregation is a unique entity with its own context, so what works in one will not necessarily work in another. But there are several factors that will be true in most all situations. Below are a list of these factors and as you proceed with Centershot, you will give each of these areas some attention.

Prayer

The foundation of every ministry begins in prayer and Centershot is no different. Most likely you are reading this because you are sensing a call to start a Centershot ministry in your local church and so now (if you haven’t already) is a great time to start praying.

Psalm 127:1(NLT) says, “Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is useless.” If you are like me, I don’t want to be involved in useless work. Rather we want to know the Lord’s heart, so He can build the house - prayer will be the means to know the Lord’s heart. Here are some areas to pray about:

Confirm your calling and involvement in Centershot

Ask for discernment on how to proceed

Pray for God to be working in the hearts of others as partners in Centershot

Ask God for wisdom and His heart for Centershot at your church

Ask the Lord for financial provision

Identify Champions

Whether its sports, business or ministry, champions are vital to success. Champions are the “go-to” people who can be counted on in any situation. There are three main areas that you will want to identify champions.

Church leadership – Centershot is designed to function with lay-leadership. You don’t need a pastor to run a Centershot ministry at your church. However, you should have their blessing, so early on in the process, have a conversation with your pastor or church leader and share with them your vision for Centershot and allow them to bless what you are doing.

Core leaders – Identify one or preferably two other people who will serve as the core leadership team. Jesus sent His disciples out two-by-two and this is the best way to start a Centershot ministry. The core leadership team will set direction, make all relevant decisions, and provide oversight for the ministry.

Financial support – The primary expense for Centershot is the equipment. Depending on your situation, raising funds to purchase equipment can range from a fairly simple matter to a much more difficult one. No matter what your situation is, be encouraged with this; if God is in it, He will meet your need. Be creative! Look for people or businesses you can partner with.

If you need help in this area, feel free to contact Mark Beasley for assistance.

Phase 2: Build A Team

Now that you have your core leadership team in place, begin to pray for additional team members to join your team. A natural place to start looking (but not exclusively) are the outdoorsmen in your church.

Depending on the size of your Centershot ministry you will want to add two to four team members. These people will have two primary roles; archery instructors and Bible study leaders. You may find people who are equipped and willing to do both. If not, having people “specialize” in one area or the other is a great idea.

Purchase Your Equipment

Purchasing the necessary equipment will be one of the most important areas of consideration. The money needed to purchase the equipment can be provided in a number of different ways.
Some churches have a line item in their budgets for outreach/evangelism and may be willing to invest in Centershot as their outreach. Other ideas are:
church sponsored fund-raiser, solicit local businesses
or business owners, donations from church members, and game feeds
.(Please contact Mark Beasley for other ideas or questions regarding fund raising).

Centershot makes available two different ministry kits depending on the anticipated size of your ministry (we can also customize a kit for your situation). Once the necessary funds have been raised, orders for equipment can be made by
sending a completed Ministry Kit Order Form to the address/fax number on the form. Equipment will be delivered in several drop shipments and will arrive in two to three weeks.

Train Your Leader

Training your instructors is something that will take some planning and attention. The training for your church will take place after all your equipment has been delivered and will be conducted by a certified Centershot trainer (please note: there is an additional fee charged to train your instructors).

The archery training used in Centershot is similar to the training used in National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP). A typical training is eight hours long (conducted on one day, usually a Saturday, 8am-4pm) and is held at your facility. In most cases, the Centershot trainer will arrive the day before
the training and work with your team to help set-up the range, assuring it is done safely and properly.

Many times your archery instructors can be trained by local NASP organizations or by your state dept. of natural recourses. Please contact Mark Beasley for training fees and scheduling.

Training for the Bible study portion (The Plan) of Centershot is contained in the curriculum that you will receive with your Centershot equipment kit. It is a great resource that will walk you through an eight week session on following Jesus. It is a great idea to spend some time with your pastor or church leader,
where you can go over the material and ask any questions you may have.

Phase 3: Launch Centershot

Setting a launch date is an exciting and an important thing to do. Establishing a start date serves as a target or goal that will focus your energy and planning. It’s important to take into consideration a few things as you decide when to set a launch date.
These things include: adequate time to fund raise, order and receive equipment, train instructors and market your ministry.

The following is a SAMPLE time-line that will help you determine a successful launch date once the decision has been made and the necessary funds are in place to purchase equipment.

SAMPLE TIME-LINE

Market Your Ministry

How you get the word out about your Centershot ministry depends on who you are trying to reach. As you meet and pray with your core leadership team, identify your primary group or groups you are trying to connect with and then target your marketing to reach those groups.
Many churches have had success by marketing to people from their own congregation for the first time or two – this helps to establish Centershot in your own church. Once Centershot has some traction in your church, then encourage previous participants to help “advertise” Centershot by inviting people they know from outside the church.

Launch

Set a date far enough in advance to leave you with sufficient time complete everything that needs to be done and then build momentum as the date approaches.

Order equipment (eight weeks before launch)

Receive equipment (four to seven weeks before launch)

WEEK2

Start marketing ministry (approx. seven weeks before launch)

WEEK3

Instructor training (one to four weeks before launch)

WEEK3

Final marketing push (two weeks before launch)

WEEK4

Launch

Centershot Ministries (CsM) is a non-denominational outreach program that shares the Gospel of Jesus using the life-skill of archery. CsM does this by partnering and equipping the local church to use this amazing tool to reach the community ...